


A Grave Misunderstanding

by conspiracy_of_ravens (nonamenuisance)



Series: Till Death Do Us Part [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Corpse Bride (2005) Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Ghouls, Alternate Universe - Victorian Era, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Bittersweet Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, He tries so hard, Literary References & Allusions, M/M, Nothing goes "according to plan", Poor Kaneki, Second-Hand Embarrassment, morbid fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-12 10:51:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7931842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonamenuisance/pseuds/conspiracy_of_ravens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day before his arranged wedding to the young Lord Nagachika, Kaneki is practicing his vows in the woods while unknowingly being in the presence of a deceased young man. The corpse rises from his grave assuming that they have been wed.  Becoming tangled in the worlds of the living and the dead, Kaneki tries to set things right and get back to his fiancé, yet finds himself becoming more and more drawn to his corpse husband.  </p><p> </p><p>  <b>On hiatus</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings, Tokyo Ghoul fandom! Please accept this humble offering.
> 
> It is based off one of my all-time favorite movies, Corpse Bride. I’ve changed some things, so hopefully it's not boring for those who've seen it. ;) I hope you enjoy.

With a feather-light grip on his quill, Kaneki put the tip to the paper and swiftly drew an oval, finally completing his sketch. With a sigh and a gentle smile, he laid the pen down and surveyed his work. It was a butterfly—an Apollo to be specific. Most overlooked this species and deemed it plain, but Kaneki found that there was a hidden depth to the ash-toned wings. It was an unassuming looking creature, and yet if one viewed it in a certain light, the few red spots sported on the hindwings would glow with an iridescent shine.

He reached up to the windowsill where his model was fluttering under an overturned vase and lifted the cage. The butterfly darted over, brushing across his face, before turning and slipping out the slightly cracked window. Kaneki watched it go with a sharp pang of envy. _If only I could slip away to freedom so easily,_ he thought with a bitter smile.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The benches inside the carriage were lined with stiff new leather, pulled uncomfortably taught by the buttons indenting it at regular intervals. It gave off a sharp, clean scent that does nothing more than remind Kaneki how uncomfortable he is with his family’s new station in society. His father was a fish merchant who’s company was never terribly successful. When he passed away several years ago, his mother hired a manager who turned the company around, turning his mother into the most prosperous fish dealer in the country. That gave his mother mixed feelings. Yes, she was successful and wealthy now, but that that wealth came from something as undignified as fish was a source of shame for her. After several trips made to the large towns nearby, she found a way to rid herself of her shame. 

An aristocratic family, whose mansion was only one town over, had a problem that she could solve. The Nagachikas had a title and land, but had not a penny to their name. Kaneki was to marry their son and bridge the gap between the two families. His mother then would be strongly tied to an influential and titled family, while the Nagachikas would no longer have to conceal their bankruptcy. It was the perfect solution.

Perfect for everyone except for Kaneki, that is. He had always wanted to marry someone he was deeply in love with, and having never met the Nagichika’s son, he was terribly afraid that he would find him intolerable. Even if he did though, it would be too late, seeing as they were to be wed tomorrow at noon.

His mother sat across from him with that smug smile which had perpetually graced her lips from the moment she arranged this marriage. Kaneki spread his hands in his lap, trying to hide the trembling in his few fingers. When he caught his mother’s eyes on them though, he fisted his hands and shoved them under his thighs. The thought of her staring at his missing digits was intolerable; he himself could barely look at them.

“You’ve brought the ring, right Ken?” She asked, her high voice calling to his mind the image of nails dragging across a slate.

He whispered out a hesitating “Yes, mother” and she nodded approvingly.

“Good. It would be just like you to do something so foolish as to forget it out of spite. This rehearsal must go according to plan.” 

“I—I wouldn’t do that, mother.” He slid down in his seat a little. “I understand this is a big chance for you. Us,” he coughed and fixed his wording a little too late for it to go unnoticed.

“Nagachika is a good catch. Now all we have to do is reel him in,” She gave him a pointed look.

Kaneki sighed. “But I’ve never even spoken to him.”

“At least we have that in our favor.” His mother then turned to face out the window, clearly signaling that the conversation was over.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
After ringing the bell at the door, his mother turned to him, adjusting his eye patch and shaking his shoulders.

“Ken! Look at the way you’re standing. Straighten up. You look like you’ve got rickets or something.” When she turned back around, she saw the door had been opened and a stern woman was staring.

With a gasp, and a hastened brush down the front of her skirts, Ms. Kaneki stepped forward with a smile. With her heels clicking on the marble floor, she crooned to the woman who could only be Lady Nagachika. 

“Oh such grandeur. Such impeccable taste! Who is your decorator?”

Kaneki held back a sigh. The Nagachikas could clearly not afford a decorator, considering how the Lady of the house was the one to greet them at the door instead of a butler. The entry hall was definitely large and elegant, although it lacked all furniture save for a piano in the corner.

Lord Nagachika appeared at his wife’s side, every bit as short and squat as she was tall and thin. “We’ll be taking tea in the west drawing room,” he announced loftily, before turning and leading the two women towards said room.

Kaneki lingered behind, slowly approaching the piano. It was clearly old, yet still in beautiful condition. There was a little vase balanced on the gleaming dark wood, holding what looked to be blackberry blossoms.

Brushing the pads of his fingers across the ivory keys, he glanced around before sitting. The piano was always a passion of his; one that he had been afraid he would not be able to continue after _the incident_ , as his mother called it. While he could not play pieces as complicated as before when he had ten fingers, seven were still enough to make beautiful music. When he heard a door close in the distance signaling that he was finally alone, he began with a few simple notes in his right hand, before his left joined in with a more complex and quick harmony line that filled out the gaps between the slow-moving melody. He played quietly for a few minutes, but after not being interrupted, he grew in confidence and began to add crescendos and diminuendos, closing his eyes and rocking in time with the music.

“You play beautifully,” A voice spoke from directly behind him.

Kaneki jolted up in surprise, tipping over the bench and rattling the piano, knocking down the flower vase. Water, slightly pearlescent from the plant’s juices, spilled out across the piano. 

“Do forgive me!” Kaneki cried, rushing to right the vase. The young man behind him reached out and wiped up the spill with the sleeve of his suit jacket. “How terribly rude of me to…” Kaneki trailed off as he got a good look at the man who must be his fiancé. He was friendly looking, with a shining smile and blond hair. _Like sunshine_ , Kaneki’s mind supplied unhelpfully. He realized he was staring, and after muttering an “excuse me,” bent over to right the bench.

“Mother won’t let me near the piano. Music is improper for someone of my station. Too passionate, she says,” Nagachika sounded both mocking and wistful. 

Kaneki glanced around, growing more nervous with each minute, especially when he realized they were alone in the hall. “If I may ask, Master Nagachika, wh—where is your chaperone?” 

Nagachika, with an almost smirk, ignored his question. “Perhaps,” he started, stepping forward, “in view of the circumstances, you could call me Hide.”

Laughing nervously, Kaneki agreed. “Yes, of course. Hide.”

“Yes, Ken?” Hide stepped forwards again.

“Tomorrow we are to be… Mmh—Mar…” Kaneki found that he could not say the word.

“Married.” Hide supplied.

“Yes. Married.”

Hide turned to the piano, and picked up a leaf that had fallen when the vase fell. “Since I was a child, I’ve dreamt of my wedding day. I always hoped to find someone I was deeply in love with; someone to spend the rest of my life with.” He turned, sitting down at the keyboard and casting a self-deprecating look at Kaneki. “Silly, isn’t it?”

Kaneki found himself agreeing again without thinking, too shocked by the similarities between Hide’s words and his own secret hopes. “Yes, silly.” Then upon realization of what he said, he coughed out a “no, not at all,” and seated himself down on the bench next to Hide. 

Hide grinned, possibly the first truly happy smile he’d given since Kaneki had met him. He then reached up and removed the blackberry blossoms from the vase, sniffed them delicately, and passed them to Kaneki almost shyly. Kaneki blushed, and as he was preparing to say thank you, Lady Nagachika burst into the hall.

“What impropriety is this? You shouldn’t be alone together! Here it is, one minute before five, and you’re not at the rehearsal. Pastor Kirishima is waiting! Come at once.”  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Three hours later, Paster Kirishima cast yet another stern glare at Kaneki.

“Mr. Kaneki, from the beginning. Again.” She then began to lead him through the vows for what felt like the fiftieth time. “With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine. Now let’s try it again.”

“Ah. Yes.” Kaneki started. “With this candle,” he held his unlit candle out to the lit one in the center of the table, and tried to catch the wick alight, yet nothing happened. “This candle…” he began again, and yet it would not light. With a high blush, he tried for a third time to light the candle and failed.

“Shall I get up there and do it for you?” His mother called mockingly. 

Pastor Kirishima coughed pointedly, and gestured to the candle in his hand, which had caught while he had been looking at his mother.

Kaneki pulled it back quickly. “With this candle,” he sighed in relief and accidentally blew out the little flame. He cast a terrified glance at Pastor Kirishima.

“Continue!” She yelled, eye twitching as the front door bell rang. Lady Nagachika removed herself to go and answer, immediately returning alone and whispered to her husband that a Lord Yamori has arrived and is waiting to speak to him after the rehearsal.

“Do you know him?” Lord Nagachika asked.

“No. I assumed he was from your side of the family.” She replied haughtily.

He grunted in response, and gestured for the rehearsal to get on. “Continue?”

During the whispering, Hide had taken Kaneki’s candle and lit it. 

“With this hand,” Kaneki held out his hand and led Hide up to the alter. He was so uncomfortable with the knowledge that Hide was touching his mangled hand that he took one too many steps and walked right into the alter.

“Three steps! Three! Can you not count?” Paster Kirishima screeched, hitting him upside the head with her ordaining staff. “Do you even want to get married?”

“No, I—” He started, only to be interrupted by Hide.

“No? You do not?” he asked, looking shocked and hurt.

Kaneki turned, eyes wide. “No, I meant that I… I can count, and I do not _not_ wish to be married. That is, I want very much to be—Ow!” He was cut off again with another blow to the head from Paster Kirishima’s staff. 

“Pay attention! Have you even remembered to bring the ring?” She asked mockingly.

“The ring! Yes, of course!” He cried, and pulled it from his inner suit pocket. His few fingers were trembling so much though, that it slipped from his grasp and rolled under the skirts of Lady Nagachika.

“Dropping the ring!” Paster Kirishima yelled. “This boy doesn’t want to get married!”

Kaneki in his panic, dove for the ring, reaching his hand between Lady Nagachika’s feet beneath her skirts. She screamed, and he realized that he had dropped the lit candle into the fabric of her dress. It caught fire quickly, and Lord Nagachika shoved Kaneki out of the way in order to stomp on the flame. Ms. Kaneki darted over as well, and began to beat air onto the flames with her fan. 

“Stop fanning, you fool!” Hide cried, as he took the cup from the alter of what was currently water, yet would be wine at the wedding, and dumped it on his mother’s dress, effectively putting out the fire.

Everyone stood in silence for a long moment until Pastor Kirishima burst out loudly. “Enough! This wedding cannot take place until he is properly prepared!” Pointing a long finger at Kaneki, she backed him against the door. “Young man, learn your vows.” 

Kaneki nodded rapidly while his hand was groping for the doorknob, overcome by a desperate desire to escape. Finally getting a good grip on it, he shoved the door open, and raced out of the room and ran as far as he could go.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The sky was completely dark, the glow of the full moon shining bright against the snow. He’d long ago stopped panting, and after running clear out of town into the surrounding woods, his heart had stopped pounding and his mind stopped racing. 

“Oh Hide,” He muttered to himself as he sat on a fallen tree, looking at the blackberry blossoms he’d been given. “He must think I’m such a fool.” Tracing his fingers along the delicate petals, he continued his conversation with himself. “It really shouldn’t be all that difficult. They’re just a few simple vows. With this hand, I will take your wine. No!” He groaned in frustration, and stood, walking deeper into the woods. He had already gone far enough, that he was unable to see the town. The scenery around him was all beginning to look the same; dark shadows, bright patches of snow, and barren trees.

“With this hand, I will cup your—Oh goodness no.” A crow had begun to follow him as he walked. He continued to practice, and continued to mess up. “With this candle, I will… I will… I will set your mother on fire.” He sighed, sitting again upon a stump. _It’s no use_ , he thought. Hide was wonderful, and after meeting him, Kaneki had begun to look forward to their wedding. Or at least, he had become hopeful that they would at least get along well even if they never fell in love. He could tell that Hide was the kind of person he could grow fond of easily. 

Kaneki yet again pulled out the flowers, and this time, the wedding band came with it. He took a gentle sniff of the blossoms, and stood again, this time filled with confidence.

“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.” He flicked the ring in the air and caught it smoothly before turning to a particularly jagged looking tree. “Ah, Lady Nagachika, you look ravishing this evening,” he declared to the tree. Turning to the stump he’d perched on, he continued. “What’s that, Lord Nagachika? Call you dad? If you insist sir.” He strode to a protruding branch, and broke off the tip. “With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. And with this ring, I ask you to be mine,” He finished smoothly, and slipped the ring onto a sprouting root at the base of an enormous tree. 

Kaneki smiled to himself, staring at the ring on the root, proud to have finally said his vows perfectly. The wind picked up a bit, and he shivered. Hearing a rustling sound, Kaneki look up and saw that the crow which had been following his every footstep had gathered with over a dozen more and that they all were peering down intently at him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Something felt wrong.

A hand gripped around his wrist, long fingers completely encircling it, and yanked his arm into the ground. He gasped in terror, and tried to back away. In doing so, he drew the hand back above ground, and saw that it was completely skeletal, bones only connected by the fewest tendons and ligaments. Kaneki screamed, and gave a sharp tug, dislocating the elbow joint of the decomposing arm. He fell backwards onto his hands.

The ground before him appeared as if it were leaping upwards. Finally, it cracked, and a tall figure rose from the earth. It was a man, with purple hair and a tattered suit that must have been white at some point. There was a huge gash in the side, and his ribs could be seen, along with a good amount of torn flesh. With a loud crack, he fixed his dislocated arm, gracefully pushed back the lock of hair that fell over his eyes with his bony fingers, and smiled a smile that was nothing short of terrifying. His parted lips stretched the hole in his cheek, and his molars could clearly be seen through it. “I do, mon chéri,” the man, the thing, practically purred.

Kaneki screamed yet again, and crawled back on his hands briefly before turning and running in the direction he thought the town was. The forest’s lack of landmarks or distinguishable features had not scared him before, but now he was terrified. He was simply praying to whoever would listen that he could make it to town before that _thing_ caught him.

And it was giving chase, moving across the ground in long, smooth strides, easily gaining on Kaneki. His mind chose the wrong time to wander off to his books, and he thought of those creatures, _ghouls_ , that he had read about in the book of Arabian fairytales. Was that what this was? A ghoul?

The thought made Kaneki run all the faster. Panting and gasping, he broke through the trees and saw the river between him and the town. Looking behind him, he saw nothing and paused in the middle of the bridge, remembering that according to the book, ghouls could not cross bodies of water. _I’ll be safe here_ , he thought as he began to examine a rip that appeared in the sleeve of his suit jacket. He must have stumbled through a briar patch at one point. Leaning his forehead against the stone railing, he tried to catch his breath.

“Mon chéri,” a voice whispered, causing his blood to run cold. 

Slowly, as if it would change what he knew he would see, Kaneki turned. It stood directly in front of him, arms trapping him against the railing. “Why did you run from me?” It asked, sounding hurt.

Kaneki cast a glance back over his shoulder, judging the distance between the bridge and the water below. If he moved fast enough, he could make it. Although this clearly wasn't a ghoul, since it'd made it across—

A cold hand gripped his chin and turned his face back. “You may kiss the groom,” the corpse whispered, before attempting to pull him into a passionate kiss. As soon as their lips met though, Kaneki’s world faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first creative venture into the fandom. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> And a note for those who have seen Corpse Bride; yes the majority of the dialog from this chapter was taken directly from the movie. That will not be the case for the later chapters, have no fear.
> 
> One other thing... I've never written in third person before, so please, if you have any kind of constructive criticism regarding the narration style (or anything else, really, but specifically that), I would love to hear it.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I always update a minimum of once a month unless otherwise announced, but I will do my best to update more frequently than that.
> 
> Tumblr URL: theraven4597.tumblr.com


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Tokyo Ghoul fans! I’m back with another chapter, but first I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who has read/commented/bookmarked/subscribed/left a kudos on this story! It means so much to me. 
> 
> Also… Announcement! You may have noticed that this story is now a part of a series. 
> 
> There is a reason why. A rather exciting reason, if I do say so myself.
> 
> I will not say whether we will end with Hidekane or Tsukikane, BUT! I will write an alternate ending for the other ship, simply because I’m a huge multishipper and really want to give both pairings an ending since I love them so much. 
> 
> Also, just a note y’all, there is some ableist language and a panic attack in this chapter.

After Kaneki had fled, the Nagachika’s sent Pastor Kirishima home. After many hurried assurances that Kaneki had simply returned home and would have his vows learned by the wedding tomorrow, Ms. Kaneki left as well.

“Remind me why we chose that bumbling idiot again?” Lord Nagachika asked, mainly talking to himself. 

Lady Nagachika chimed in anyway. “Because he is our sons age, and comes from money. His behavior was appalling though; so very like the nouveau riche.” Before Hide could speak up on Kaneki’s behalf, his mother continued. “Now. Do we not have a visitor to entertain? I left him in the west drawing room.”

No other room in the mansion had held on to it’s dignity and elegance as well as the west drawing room had, making it the ideal, if not only, place fit to see guests. There were dark velvet curtains, bearing a twirling artistic pattern, that contrasted beautifully with the cream wallpaper. There were prints upon the walls, along with old family portraits from a wealthier time. Crystalline lampshades, plush lounges, and a thick carpet green carpet showed the former grandeur of the family, yet their current financial desperation could also clearly be seen. Dust had gathered in the corners of the ceiling, and there was a cobweb in the chandelier. Several large mirrors had also been placed on the walls; something that Lady Nagachika was loathe to think about. 

The Lord Yamori was a large man, as broad as he was tall, with a pronounced yet slightly flattened nose. Dressed smartly in a pale suit—which was quite fashionable in London—he presented a very smart, and very wealthy, picture. No one would call him handsome by any means, but he was most definitely distinct in a way that was appealing to Lord and Lady Nagachika. 

After introductions and brief small talk, Lady Nagachika, ever the gossip, did not hesitate to begin to describe the day’s events to Lord Yamori and vehemently slander Kaneki and his incompetence. Hide began to defend Kaneki loyally, surprised to find how fond he was of him already. Their private interaction was brief, but he felt that it contained a lot of insights into the character of his fiancé. 

His mother though did not appreciate his defense of Kaneki, and so she sent him to his room.

Once Hide had left, Lady Nagachika returned her attention to Lord Yamori. “His mother too, is a vile schemer. I had quite the shock when I saw the wretched boy. When she had come to propose the arrangement, she brought along a photograph of him. In it, he was smiling and happy, looking oh so innocent. I had hoped that he would be a good influence for our Hide; maybe calm him down a bit, you understand? Not that Hide is a bad young man, by any means. He simply gets…” she searched for the word. “Restless. He gets restless, as is common for men his age.”

Lord Yamori chuckled deeply. “I understand you perfectly, Lady. I was once that age myself, and had quite my fair share of adventures in the name of staving off boredom.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I suspected you might. In any case, the rascal that she came with today, well. He looked nothing like the boy in the photograph. For one thing, his hair was not black, but pure white! Who has hair of such a color when they have not yet even reached their twenty-first year? Only those who have made a deal with the Devil, let me tell you! I was tempted to call it off right on the spot! Still though, I do not understand what possessed me, but I continued on and showed them into the house. And that is when I noticed. You will not believe…” She leaned forward. “The boy was maimed! Incomplete! She deceived us into creating a contract with her, only to provide damaged goods. The retched boy was so ignorant and malformed, that he could not repeat a few simple vows, instead making a fool of himself _and_ Hide!” Lady Nagachika wiped her forehead with a handkerchief. “It is terrible, but the wedding is already upon us. We can not cancel it now.”

“The way he behaved is simply scandalous,” Lord Yamori said firmly. “Why, if I had a man like your son on my arm, I would lavish him with riches befitting royalty.”

Lord Nagachika spoke for the first time that evening. “Your Lord husband must be a most fortunate man.”

“Alas, but I am not married. I was engaged once, several years ago, but tragedy struck my young love away.” Lord Yamori looked so forlorn at the memories, that Lady Nagachika passed him her spare kerchief, while casting a meaningful glance at her husband.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
“A new arrival!” Someone shouted enthusiastically. The loudness of the person’s voice caused Kaneki to goan in pain, and grip his head tightly. Other sounds began to filter in; laughter, a band, the clinking of glasses. Then came another voice, one that made Kaneki’s eye fly open in terror.

“He must have fainted!” When the corpse who’d kissed him saw that he was awake, he reached down with his skeletal arm and tucked his hand behind Kaneki’s head. “Are you alright?” It, he, asked concernedly. 

Kaneki looked around the room and gasped. It was filled with walking bodies, all in varying states of decay, yet none of them decomposing in the earth like they should be. Instead, they were up, walking around, talking, and drinking… Was that coffee? A little girl shoved her way forward, grabbing onto the arm of the corpse who’d been… talking to him. “He’s a breather, Tsukiyama!” Tsukiyama. That must be it’s… his… name.

Shoving the bony hand away, Kaneki sat up slowly. “Where am I? What’s going on? What are you all? I—I want answers!” He tried to sound firm, but the quaver in his voice belied his emotions.

Proudly presenting his bony hand, the corpse… Tsukiyama, showed off the plain gold ring sitting on his fourth finger. “In the woods, you said your vows so perfectly!”

“This isn’t real, it’s… it’s happening again… nine hundred ninety three, ni—nine hundred eighty six, nine…” his voice trailed away into harsh whispers.

“Everyone go away!” Tsukiyama cried, before turning his attention to Kaneki who was rocking and clutching his head. “Ken—, what… please calm down. Here, let me take you elsewhere.” 

As he wrapped his arms around him, Kaneki shrieked and lashed out. “No don’t touch me! Please no more, don’t take any more! Nine hundred sixty five, nine hundred…” He continued on, counting down by sevens. 

Tsukiyama turned to the little girl next to him. “Hinami, please allow us some privacy?” He begged.

She agreed, and followed the rest out the door. Tsukiyama flapped his hands around in a silent panic, desperately trying to think of a way to help Kaneki. After casting several hurried glances around the room, his eyes settled on an unopened bottle of water. Quickly seizing it, he opened it and set it on the ground before Kaneki.

“Ah, mon amour… you are safe here. I am with you. No harm shall come.” He began to softly attempt to reassure him, and after a time, it seemed to begin to work. Kaneki’s fingers, which had been wound so tightly into his white locks, began to unfurl, and his rapid muttering slowed to a halt.

After a few moments of motionless silence, he took a quick sip from the water before finally looking up at Tsukiyama. “I want to go home.” He said simply.

Tsukiyama sighed. “What say you to taking a walk with me? We can talk as we go.”

Kaneki nodded, and Tsukiyama offered his assistance in standing, which he accepted.

As Tsukiyama led him out of the building, everything passed by in a blur. He was still feeling a little disoriented, and time seemed to be moving differently. They were on a busy street, filled with walking corpses, all bustling to wherever their destination was. Little decaying children played tag, darting through and under the wheels of moving carriages being pulled by skeletal horses. The buildings and objects all appeared to be in good condition, but there was no plant-life anywhere. With a glance upwards, Kaneki saw that there was no sky—just the dark and moist earth far above their heads—and yet it was still light. Feeling a headache creeping up, he tried to shake his curiosities from his mind and follow the corpse before him.

Upon reaching a rather suspicious-looking staircase, Kaneki paused. It was long and winding, the width of each step varying drastically, and he was unable to tell how it could possibly still be standing. Tsukiyama, sensing his hesitation, turned and offered his hand to him. 

“It is perfectly safe, Ken. I will let no harm befall you. Come.” Kaneki once again accepted the offered hand, not stopping to consider his usual nervousness at exposing his damaged hand to another’s view, and took his first step onto the staircase.

It creaked and groaned, boards shrieking like a cold winter wind, but it held fast and true. After a few more careful steps, he grew in confidence, and began to move more briskly yet never letting go of the hand he held in his. Tsukiyama cast him a smile.

At first, Kaneki felt that the platform let to by the staircase was rather anticlimactic for having such a character-filled entry, yet when he looked over the railing, he realized that he could see the town below, stretching on for furlongs and furlongs before the darkness swallowed the outskirts.

“This is beautiful.” He whispered.

Tsukiyama had leaned on the railing, comfortably placing a good deal of his weight on the bar separating him from a nasty tumble. “It is, isn’t it? It takes my breath away.” He then chuckled, and threw a wink at Kaneki. “Well, it would if I had any.”

Kaneki was unsure of how to respond to that, so he simply hummed politely, and seated himself on the bench placed a safe several yards from the cliff edge. 

“May I ask,” Kaneki began slowly, bringing up a topic that had been on his mind since he came to. “What happened to you?”

“Well,” Tsukiyama sighed “It is a rather long story. To put it simply, I fell in love, and that love killed me.” He moved towards the bench and gracefully lowered himself down beside Kaneki, scooping up his hand as he did so. Kaneki noticed for the first time how freezing Tsukiyama’s fingers were as they dipped over the gaps in his knuckles. Strangely enough, he didn’t feel the need to pull his hand away.

“I was young and foolish. A man came to town one day, many years ago, mind you, and we met on accident. My family was wealthy, and he was a member of the working class. I found him handsome, in a rather untraditional sense of the word. He was engaging and witty; furthermore, he put up with each of my foibles, which none of my other suitors had done. When he asked for my hand, my father said no.”

At this point, he turned to face Kaneki head on. “Now you see mon chou, I am a very stubborn man. When I want something, I will do anything in my power to achieve it, regardless of the consequences.” A chill raced down Kaneki’s spine at his words. They almost sounded like a warning. “I arranged to elope with him. We were to meet in the woods, under a beautiful magnolia tree at the end of the third watch of the night, and I was to bring along money and jewels that I would steal from my parents so that we could procure ourselves a cottage by the sea. I was so anticipating our wedding, that I arrived a full half-hour early, and I remember the tree was in bloom with the most magnificent flowers I’d ever seen. As time crept on, he never showed. Eventually, right as I began to realize that I had been stood up, I heard a rustling in the bushes not too far from me.” Tsukiyama’s grip on Kaneki’s hand tightened painfully. “He appeared, emerging from the dark like a demon, and instead of joy at seeing my love, I felt terrified. Something in his face had changed, Ken. It was morphed, distorted beyond all recognition. It wasn’t a physical change, mind you, by any means. Yet it was as plain as if it were. I tried to resist him, but I was unarmed while he bore a knife, and, well. I’m sure you understand how that ended. When I awoke again—after how long had passed, I do not know—I had been hastily buried beneath the beautiful tree. I chose to stay there, choosing to believe that someday true love wound find me. Eventually it did.” He turned to Kaneki with a shy smile that looked so out of place on his usually confident face. 

“How horrible!” Kaneki cried, before continuing timidly, “And so, what did you do the whole time?”

“I waited,” he replied simply. “I’ll admit; it was rather dull. Last year nothing happened. The year before nothing happened. And the year before that nothing happened.”

Kaneki’s eye widened. “You read Dazai too?”

Tsukiyama gave him a knowing look. “Oh, absolutely. Speaking of, I’ve got a gift for you.”

“Really?” He scooted closer, intrigued. 

“It’s a wedding present.” Tsukiyama whispered in his ear, before leaning off to the side and returning with a box. 

Kaneki took it and shook it gently, drawing a gasp from Tsukiyama. As he turned to see what had happened, the box began to rattle and shake, causing him to drop it in fright. Small bones scattered out across the ground, along with a brown strip of leather. Casting a confused and slightly disgusted look at Tsukiyama, Kaneki leaned down and grabbed the leather before realizing it was a collar with a tag. The bones began to vibrate again, before sliding together with a series of loud cracks and formed a small dog. The dog immediately leapt up into Kaneki’s lap and nuzzled it’s skull against his face. Glancing at the tag, Kaneki turned to Tsukiyama in shock. 

“Kazuko…? My old dog Kazuko? Where? H—How?” 

“That’s a secret!” Tsukiyama smirked playfully. 

Kaneki turned his attention back to Kazuko. “Who’s my good little girl? Sit. Sit, Kazuko!” When she did, Kaneki moved through some more of her commands, having her roll over and bark, and she followed them all as obediently as she had when he played with her last. “Kazuko, play dead!” Upon hearing that, the little dog just cocked her head and whined. 

“She is absolutely adorable.” Tsukiyama said, breaking Kaneki out of his fixation on the dog.

“She is,” he agreed, as Kazuko leapt back into his lap. “You should have seen her with fur!” 

Tsukiyama laughed, and slowly took the collar from where Kaneki had placed it on the bench, and held it out to him. “Would you do the honors?” 

Kaneki took it with a smile. “You know,” he said, as he fastened it, “my mother never approved of Kazuko jumping up like this.” He scoffed. “But then again, she never approved of anything.”

“Do you think she would have approved of me?” Tsukiyama asked, sounding hopeful.

“Oh, no. Be thankful you’ll never have to meet her. But…” he paused, as an idea took root in his mind, “actually, since we are… married, you probably should. Yes, you should definitely meet her!”

“I would love to!” Tsukiyama stood. “Where is she buried?”

That gave Kaneki pause. “Um. She’s not dead, she’s…” he vaguely pointed upwards.

“Ah, she’s still alive? Very well. I know just the right person.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “Elder Yoshimura.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this story takes place in Victorian England. And yes, I’m having the characters reference a postwar Japanese author. And I shall shamelessly revel in this lack of continuity.
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr at theraven4597.tumblr.com.


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